Green Lantern's Light
by Virgil of New Genesis
Summary: Both Hal Jordan and Buffy Summers move into Smallville, where they discover that the town is just a little bit different than normal.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Two more things that I need to get out of the way. First, I've decided to change the appearance of Kryptonian tech to make it similar to what was seen in the movie 'Man of Steel', from which certain other elements will also be included. Second, I'll be shifting the Point of View at semi-random intervals. There will be a break in the story between transitions, but no visible indications of the switch (other than hearing the thoughts of Hal, Clark, or Buffy).**

Hal had to admit, this was perhaps the worst punishment that his mother could think of. Spending a year in the middle of nowhere, a place called Smallville, on the edge of Kansas, the dullest state in the union, would prove to be the death of him. Hal stepped out of the bus, his mother, having a fear of planes, didn't want him in another one for a while, and breathed in the air. He nearly gagged, the first sign that he wouldn't last too long here. Being used to the smell of the sea, Hal couldn't stand being so far from it, and the smell of manure made the transition even worse. He hoped that Tom got his message and would arrange to bring some of the stuff he'd left at home, to ease the tension he had begun to feel.

He held a picture of two men, the older one with blond hair, green eyes, and that rugged country look, the younger one with black hair, blue eyes, and a thin, yet slightly muscular body. Hal had known the two of them through his dad, before he died, and, until today, he'd never had any contact with them since.

"Hal!" one of the two men, the older one, called his name as he turned his head, "Over here!" Hal walked toward the two men, the older man slightly shorter than him and the younger one slightly taller, "Look at you," the older man declared, "My, have you grown. Well last time we saw you, you were this tall," his hand hovered just above his knee, indicating his height.

"Mr. Kent, Clark," Hal nodded at the older man, then the younger one as he swung his bags over his shoulder.

"Here, let me help," Clark nearly muttered as he picked up one of the heavier bags as if it were a feather.

"You're stronger than you look," Hal remarked as the three men walked out of the bus station, toward a red truck.

"It's what happens when you bail hay every day," Clark declared as they placed Hal's bags in the back.

As Hal entered the truck, closest to the passenger side door, he glanced at the ring on his finger. He'd spent two months learning how to use it, two months that he hoped wouldn't have been spent in vain. During those two months, he'd gotten to know the previous owner of the ring, Abin Sur, who had been slowly dying of a wound that the ring apparently couldn't heal. Two long, grueling months in the Mojave Desert learning to create constructs through the ring. Hal felt that he wasn't ready to carry the mantle that Abin Sur had passed on to him, and perhaps he never will.

* * *

It was four in the morning at the Kent farm. Hal couldn't sleep that night, as he had been told that school was starting the next day. To help pass the time, he'd decided to do some chores. His dad had always said, "if someone does something for you, even if you don't want it, you should do something for them." Hal decided not to use his ring for the work, he'd always felt that it would hold him back, that it was something not to be abused, something that should be used only if absolutely necessary or if the odds are against you. Of course, he'd never use the ring when he was in the cockpit of a plane. He knew that it would take all of the thrill out of the flight.

After deciding to finally stretch his back after hours of work, having been doing chores since midnight, he figured that it was time to call it for a day. He checked the time on his watch, 6:21, his watch read. As he walked back toward the Kent house, Mr Kent opened the front door.

"Hal, what are you doing up so early?" He asked as he adjusted his heavy brown coat.

"I couldn't sleep," Hal explained, shifting a little in his dad's old flight jacket, "I thought that doing some farm work would help. It didn't."

"First day of high school is always a nerve-racking one. Just be yourself and you'll make new friends in no time," Hal liked the way that Mr Kent didn't say it was scary, he didn't feel scared, just nervous. Hal could never stand others calling him a coward, or scared. It was the reason that he'd broken into Ferris Aircraft and flew that plane, it was the reason he was in Smallville.

"I'm going to take a shower, is Clark up yet?" Hal asked as he began up the stairs of the porch.

Mr Kent chuckled, "Its hard to tell with Clark. Just knock hard on the upstairs bathroom before you go in."

Hal went up the stairs and headed to the bathroom. Luckily, Clark had already started his shower a few hours ago and had just gotten out. Hal was amazed at the fact that the hot water was still there when he started it.

* * *

Half an hour later, Hal was in the kitchen eating some toast as Clark entered the room, opened the fridge, and immediately took a swig from the milk bottle before his mother stopped him.

"Where'd you learn your manners?" she asked as she took the bottle away from him.

"On a farm," Clark joked as he sat down at the table.

"Morning everyone," Mr Kent declared as he took the milk bottle from his wife and drank out of it.

"Remind me never to drink milk at this house," Hal stated to anyone who would listen before he grabbed his coat and backpack and marched out of the door.

* * *

Once the bus arrived, Hal looked back, checking to see if Clark was behind him. He wasn't. Guessing that he would simply be getting a ride from his dad, Hal quickly got on the bus and took a seat next to a brown haired girl who looked like the typical nerd while listening to two others across the aile, a girl with blond hair and green eyes, and a guy with brown hair and eyes. The guy took a five dollar bill from the girl as she remarked, "I can't believe you bet against your best friend."

"Statistical fact," he declared, "If Clark moved any slower, he'd be extinct."

"Wait, you guys know Clark?" Hal asked them as he sat down in the empty seat next to them.

"Yeah, we're his friends," the girl said in a matter-of-fact voice, "Chloe Sullivan, and the bookie here is Xander Harris," she held out her hand as her friend, Xander, did the same.

"Hal Jordan," Hal shook their hands as the bus continued forward.


	2. Chapter 2

"Ah, great," Clark swore in frustration. Every year, the same thing would happen, he'd end up missing the bus and would have to do what he was thinking of doing at this moment. With a slight grin on his face, he ran off, but unlike a normal person, Clark was capable of running faster than the bus, eventually catching up with and passing it, while jumping over the bus, possibly scaring a few people.

* * *

Buffy Summers had one of her usual dreams that night. One of those dreams she wished she never had, depicting fire and brimstone stuff. She knew it was a sign that something big was happening, yet, as she woke up, she decided to dismiss it. She wanted a normal life from now on.

"Buffy!" yelled a voice from down the hall of the large country house.

"I'm up, Mom!" Buffy yelled back, still a bit drowsy from just waking up.

"Don't want to be late for your first day!" Buffy's mom declared with excitement.

"No..." Buffy lamented, "Wouldn't want that." She quickly got out of bed and checked her reflection. She seemed to look okay, with her dark blonde hair and blue eyes, but she still couldn't shake last night's dream. "No, I'm going to have a normal life." She told herself as she started to change for school.

* * *

_It's official, _Buffy thought to herself as she spent the last ten minutes sitting in her mother's Jeep, getting a ride to school, _I'm in the middle of nowhere._ She silently hoped that this also meant that there would be no more vampires.

"Okay," her mother began as they stopped. Buffy exhaled hard, then got out of the car, "Have a good time. I know you're going to make new friends right away. Just think positive," Mrs. Summers did what she could to encourage Buffy, who was already starting to freak out a little. "And honey," Buffy turned to look at her mom, "Try not to get kicked out of school."

"I promise," Buffy told her, shifting the gold band on her wrist as she did. She turned back toward the school and looked at the band for a moment, her mother got it for her yesterday from a local jeweler. Buffy figured it was fake gold with a cheap, emerald-like rock embedded in it, given that they paid $3.75 for it. It was the thought that counted though, Buffy's mom had said that she should have a good luck charm for this year, and she felt that this would be it. Snapping herself out of her own little world, she began walking toward the steps of Smallville High.

* * *

"Willow!" Xander declared as he ran up to a girl wearing a grey plaid dress, appearing as though she was dressed by her mother, "You're so very much the person I wanted to see."

"Oh, really?" Willow inquired as the two walked together.

"Yeah, you know I'm really having a problem with the math."

"Which part?" Willow asked.

"The math." Xander stated bluntly.

"What about Clark?"

"You know, he's busy being extremely late for school again."

"Hey guys," Clark stated as he finally arrived. Chloe quickly came up from behind, with Hal right behind her.

"Where'd you come from?" Chloe asked.

"My house," Clark started, then added sarcastically, "It's on this farm outside Smallville."

"Very funny," Chloe punched Clark hard, but he didn't mind, she'd do that from time to time.

"I thought people normally came from houses," Xander declared, "Personally, I think it's still a bit early in the relationship to ask where he..." Chloe punched Xander, which he responded with a declaration of pain.

"Seriously, how'd you get here?"

"I took a shortcut," Clark told her, trying to keep all of his books in his arms.

"Through what? A black hole?" At that moment, Xander decided to interrupt.

"Don't mind our intrepid reporter, her 'weirdar's on defcon 5," Xander then started to urge Clark away from Chloe as Hal followed, "She thought someone was attacking the bus."

"Hey," Chloe ran in front of the two boys, "Just because everyone else chooses to ignore the strange things that happen in this leafy little hamlet, doesn't mean that they don't happen," Chloe was about to continue, but Hal interrupted.

"Chloe, relax. Clark got a ride from his dad," Hal told her, then added, "Isn't that right, Clark?"

"Well..." Clark stopped, but Hal didn't.

"See, it's going to be okay," Hal started to urge Chloe away from Clark and Xander as the latter pulled out a piece of paper.

"Come on, Clark. We've got to turn these in before homeroom," Xander began to walk away in a sort of trance, with Clark on his tail.

"I'm not sure signing up for the football team's such a good idea," Clark declared as he was reminded of the conversation he had with his dad earlier that morning and how his dad said no to signing the paper that would allow him to be a normal person.

Xander was about to say that it was the only way, when Chloe began to advance back toward them, "You two joining the football team. What is this, some sort of teen suicide pact?"

Xander, grabbing Chloe by the ear, took her over to an unoccupied area, and began to explain, with Clark, Willow, and Hal nearby, "Every year, the jocks choose a freshman, take him out to Riley Field, strip him down to his boxers, and then paint an 's' to his chest."

"And then string him up like a scarecrow," Clark added.

Chloe, with a look of disgust on her face, stated, "Sounds like years of therapy waiting to happen."

"It's really disturbing," Willow began, "I heard that one of the Scarecrows had to transfer, he was so traumatized."

"Why do you think we're trying out for the team," Xander and Chloe continued talking, but Clark didn't hear. He was busy looking elsewhere; a blonde haired girl just started up the steps.

"I'll meet up with you later," Clark remarked as he slung his backpack over his shoulder and advanced toward the girl, his focus on at least talking to her. Before he got five feet from her, he tripped, dropping all of his books. Quickly, he scrambled to get his fallen books.

Hal sighed, "Clark, Clark, Clark, you're so clumsy," He stated as he helped Clark pick up his books.

That was when he noticed the girl holding one of his books, "Nietzsche, interesting to see someone here has a dark side..." The girl paused mid sentence, waiting to hear Clark's name

"Clark," Clark spoke through the pain, trying to figure out where it came from, "Clark... Kent. And don't we all?"

"Clark, you alright?" Hal asked with genuine concern.

"Yeah," Clark told him as he sat down on a low wall nearby.

_"Radiation levels detected," _Hal's ring stated in a dull, feminine voice, loud enough for everyone nearby to hear.

"What was that?" the blonde girl asked.

"Oh, just my phone," Hal pulled out his cell phone, pretending to turn it off and making a mental command to his ring to go on silent.

_Psychic interface activated, _the ring declared.

"Well, I'll see you later... Clark." The blonde told Clark as she walked away.

"Come on," Hal helped Clark up and helped him up.

"Who was she?" Clark asked as he began to feel better.

"The love of your life, apparently." Hal joked, "I'll try and figure it out. I'll let you know at lunch, or if we have a class together." Hal turned and followed the girl toward the school office.

* * *

"Buffy Summers, freshman, from Scott Memorial Junior High in Edge City. Interesting record, quite a career," Vice Principal Flutie, a short man with dark hair and large glasses stated as he sat down behind his desk in front of Buffy. He proceeded to take her record and rip it in half twice. "Welcome to Smallville. A clean slate, Buffy, that's what we offer here. What's past is past. We're not interested in your record, even if it says..." he finally got a look at the paper and stopped, a look of concern on his face, "Well..."

"Mr. Flutie," Buffy began.

"All kids here are free to call me Bob," he told her as he began to retape her record.

"Bob..."

"But they don't," he interrupted.

"I know my transcripts are a little... colorful."

"We're not caring about that. You think 'colorful' is the word to use, not 'dismal'?"

"It wasn't that bad."

"You burned down the gym." Flutie declared bluntly.

"I did, I really did, but your not seeing the big picture. I mean that gym was full of vami..." she stopped herself, "asbestos."

Flutie grunted, "Don't worry. Any other school may say 'watch your step' or 'we'll be watching you', but that's not the way we do things here. We want to service your needs; and help you respect our needs. And if your needs and our needs don't mesh..." he placed Buffy's badly retaped record back into it's folder and slammed it shut, making Buffy all the more nervous.

* * *

On the way out of the school office, Buffy accidentally bumped into one of the students, dropping all of her things on the floor. She quickly got down to pick them up, when she noticed she was getting some help. "Can I have you?" asked the dark haired guy who was helping her. The first thing she thought was that he must be confused. "Uh... can I _help_ you?"

Buffy paused, "Thanks." The two began to pick stuff up again.

"Uh... I don't know you, do I?" the guy asked.

"I'm Buffy," Buffy told him, "I'm new."

"Xander... is-is me," he started, then acquredly added, "Hi."

"Thanks, again."

"Well, uh... maybe I'll see you around. Maybe at school, since we both... go there."

"Great," Buffy stated, not sure what to think, especially after Clark Kent's earlier episode. "It was nice to meet you." Her mind was already drifting back to Clark. He seemed like a nice boy, very good looking, but a bit of a klutz. _Something easily fixed,_ she told herself as she walked away.

"Good job at not being pathetic, Xander," Xander berated himself as soon as Buffy was out of earshot. He then noticed something she forgot to pick up, a sharp wooden stick. "Wait, you forgot your... stake."


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: To those of you who are interested in submitting original story ideas or have questions about the story, please send them to my Green Lantern's Light forum: Titled 'Green Lantern's Light Forum'. **

**Also, I wish to note that I won't have the entire 'season' of 'Buffy' and 'Smallville' in this story. I'll be continuing the storyline in individual fanfics, which will be found in a friend of mine's Green Lantern's Light community, along with some character one-shots, if you're interested: Titled 'Green Lantern's Light'.**

Buffy's first class was history, which also served as a reminder that she didn't bring any books. So, when the teacher's lecture shifted to the book, she was forced to share a book with a nearby girl whose face and body screamed 'popular'.

As soon as the bell rang, the girl introduced herself, "Hi, I'm Cordelia." She held out her hand.

"I'm Buffy," Buffy shook her hand as they both packed up to leave.

"If you're looking for a text book of your very own, there's probably a few in the library."

"Oh, great, thanks," Buffy commented as they got up and walked out of the classroom, "Where would that be?"

"I'll show you." Cordelia began to lead Buffy down the hall as they continued talking. "So, you're from Wesburough, right? In Edge City? I would kill to live in Edge City; that close to that many shoes." Cordelia then proceeded to 'test her coolness factor' by giving her a pop culture quiz. When they got to the water fountain, they noticed a girl wearing a plaid dress with a long-sleeved shirt underneath. "Willow, nice dress," Cordelia declared sarcastically, "Good to know you've seen the softer side of Sears."

"Cordelia," another girl came walking up, she had short, blonde hair and had a very alt-rock look to her, "Aren't you supposed to be in some jock's pants right about now?"

Cordelia was clearly frustrated by this girl, "Shut up, Sullivan. As if you could even get a guy to go out with you."

"Just leave, Cordelia. Go bother someone who actually cares." Cordelia than stormed off, with Buffy giving Willow a sympathetic look before following.

They continued down the hall as Cordelia continued talking. "If you're not too swamped with catching up, you should come by the Bronze tonight."

"The who?"

"The Bronze. It's the only club around here worth going to. They let anyone in, but it's still the scene. It's in the bad part of town."

"Where's that?" Buffy asked as they stopped in front of the Library.

"About a half a block from the good part of town," Cordelia chuckled slightly as she continued, "We don't have a whole lot of town here. But, um, you should show."

The bell rang as Buffy looked toward the entrance to the library, "Okay, I'll try; and thanks."

Cordelia began to head off, walking backwards slowly as she talked, "So, I'll see you at gym, and you can tell me absolutely everything there is to know about you."

"Great," Buffy told Cordelia as she walked off, "Oh, that sounds like fun," she added sarcastically as she turned toward the library. She wasn't sure if she could take much more of Cordelia's talking. She walked into the library, which consisted of a large area of book shelves near the back and up a small set of stairs. A large table stood in the middle of a semi-circle created by a balcony, of sorts. A few small bookshelves also lined the edges of the semi-circle. Buffy walked over to the counter to her right, hoping to find the librarian there. Instead, she saw a local newspaper on the counter top, an article was circled in red ink: 'Local Boys Still Missing'.

Suddenly, a man popped out from behind the counter, startling Buffy. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you," the man declared with a noticeably British accent. Buffy got a good look at the man, he wore a dark brown tweed jacket, had dark green eyes, medium length brown hair that swept to his left, and appeared to be in his late 20s, though Buffy figured he must be at least 35.

"So, somebody's here," Buffy stated, trying to break the uncomfortable silence, "I'm here for books."

"Ms. Summers?" the man asked.

"Good call. I guess I'm the only new kid, huh?"

"Not quite, but I was expecting you." The man ducked back down, searching for something as he continued, "I'm Mr. Giles, the librarian."

"Great. So, I'm going to need 'Perspectives on 20th...'" Buffy started.

"Don't worry, I know what your looking for," Giles interrupted as he pulled out a book and dropped it gently on the counter. It was an old-looking book, the word 'Vampyr' on it's cover.

Buffy freaked out, "That's not what I'm looking for." She slowly began to back away.

"Are you sure?" Giles asked.

"I'm way sure," Buffy told him, than quickly ran out while Giles was distracted.

"I see," he said as she headed out, "What was it again that..." He paused, she was already gone.

* * *

"You sure about this, Hal?" Clark asked as they sat down next to Willow in the quad.

"Of course I'm sure, just ask her," Hal told him, even though he was relatively sure that Clark would get weak in the knees again if Buffy came by.

As if on cue, Buffy walked up to Willow, who had just started to get into her sack lunch. _Radiation levels detected, _Hal's ring declared as Clark started to look sick again. _Radiation source blocked._ Hal figured that the source of the radiation might be making Clark sick, somehow. Fortunately, he was right. Clark immediately started to look better.

"Hi, you're Willow, right?" Buffy asked.

"Why? I-I mean hi," Willow began, then shifted slightly in her seat, "Uh, did you want me to move?"

"Let's start with 'Hi, I'm Buffy,' and skip right to me asking you for a favor," she declared as she sat down next to Willow. "It doesn't involve moving, but it does involve hanging out with me for a while." Hal looked at Clark, waiting for him to take the opening.

"But aren't you hanging out with Cordelia?" Willow asked as Hal began nudging Clark, who had gone suddenly mute. Hal always hated these kinds of situations, he'd always feel sorry for the guy and was forced to play matchmaker.

"I can't do both?"

"Not legally."

Hal finally decided to butt in, "I'm sure Clark could help you out." Buffy gave Hal a confused look. "The name's Hal, Hal Jordan." He held out his hand, which Buffy shook.

"Y-y-yeah," was all Clark managed to say.

"You two could meet at the library during a free period."

Clark was about to agree again, when Buffy quickly rebutted, "Or not," Hal and Willow looked at her while Clark was trying to avert his gaze. "We can meet someplace quieter, or louder. The library just gives me the creeps."

"It has that effect on most kids," Willow told her, "I love it though, it's got a great collection, and the new librarian's really cool."

"He's new," Buffy stated.

"Yeah, he just started. I heard he was a curator at some British museum, or was it THE British Museum. I'm not sure which." Willow started, "He knows everything, he brought all these historical volumes and biographies, and am I the single dullest person alive?"

"Not at all," Buffy told her as Xander and Chloe walked up and sat down next to them.

"Hey, we're not interrupting are we?" Xander asked.

"Buffy, this is Chloe, and that's Xander," Willow introduced the two.

"Oh, me and Buffy go way back. Old friends, very close." Xander started to ramble, "Then there was that period of estrangement where we were growing as people, but, now here we are, like old times. Quite moving."

"My god, you just turned into a bumbling idiot," Chloe teased as she started eating her lunch.

"No... it's just you."

"Well, it's nice to meet you guys... I think,"

"We just wanted to welcome you, make you feel at home," Chloe told her.

"And to return this," Xander pulled the wooden stake Buffy dropped earlier out of his backpack, "The only thing that I can think is that you're building a really little fence."

Buffy was about to explain that it was for self defense when Cordelia walked up and said, "I don't mean to interrupt your downward mobility, but you won't be meeting Coach Quigley, the guy with the biceps, because gym has been cancelled due to the _extreme _dead guy in the locker room."

Buffy looked surprised, as if she didn't expect something like this to happen in a place like Smallville, "What?"

"Some guy was stuffed in Aura's locker," Cordelia seemed apathetic about the situation.

"Dead?" Buffy still seemed in shock.

"Totally dead, way dead."

"So not just a little dead," Xander added sarcastically.

"Don't you have anywhere else to be?" Cordelia told him.

Buffy seemed to snap out of her shock, "How'd he die?"

"I don't know," Cordelia told her.

"Well, were there any marks?"

"Morbid much? I didn't ask," Cordelia then walked off to tell someone else about the incident.

"Um... I gotta bounce, I'll see you guys later," Buffy told the rest of the group as she got up and walked off in the opposite direction as Cordelia.

"And I just remembered... I got this... thing I need to take care of... in the school," Hal attempted to state coolly as he followed Buffy back inside.

Clark got up and began to follow, making up his own excuse to leave.


	4. Chapter 4

Hal arrived in the locker room first, having used his ring to make himself invisible and phase through several walls. He looked over at the dead body and held his ring out to it.

_Scan initiated,_ the ring told him as he began to pace back and forth, waiting for the scan to be complete.

* * *

Buffy was starting to despise her luck, so much that she took the bracelet on her wrist and threw it down the hall. _Stupid good luck charm, _she thought as she reached the door to the boy's locker room. It was locked, not a problem for someone like her. With unnatural strength, Buffy ripped the door open, leaving a large crack in the door, and entered.

* * *

Clark had to admit that the death was strange. Hardly anyone died at Smallville High before, and Clark wanted to know why it was happening now. As soon as he was out of sight, he super-sped towards the gym entrance of the boy's locker room.

When he arrived, he was surprised to see Hal, pacing next to the body, and Buffy coming in though the hallway door. "What're you guys doing here?" he asked as surprise marked both of their faces.

"We could ask you the same question," Hal stated with surprising calm in his voice.

"Well... I-I was just curious," Buffy told them as she was just barely getting over the surprise.

"Guess that makes three of us," Hal declared, "What do you guys think?" He pointed at the body.

Buffy immediately bent down, pulled the blanket off of the corpse, and muttered, "Oh, great."

"What was that?" Clark asked as Buffy got back up.

"What? Oh, nothing," Buffy looked at her wrist, as if there was an invisible watch on it, "Look at the time... I really should be... getting to my next class," and she raced off, back the way she came.

"Yeah, I'd better get going, too," Hal followed her out of the door.

* * *

Irritated as hell, Buffy stormed into the library, hoping to find the librarian, Giles, to rant at. Fortunately, he was just sorting books behind one of the shelves as she entered. "Okay, what's the sitch?"

"I'm sorry?" Giles asked, confused by her sudden outburst.

"You heard about the dead guy right? The guy in the locker."

"Yes," Giles answered as he set down his books.

Buffy began her climb up the stairs to where Giles was located, "Funny thing is his neck has two little holes in them and all his blood has been drained."

Giles started at her puzzled.

"Isn't that bizarre?" Buffy asked, not holding back her anger, "Aren't you just going, 'Oh that's interesting?'"

Giles straightened his bow tie "I was afraid of this."

Buffy scoffed, "Well I wasn't. It's my first day. I was afraid that I was going to be behind in all my classes. I wasn't going to make any friends. Or I would have last month's hair. I didn't think that there would be vampires on the campus in the middle of Kansas. And I don't care."

Giles looked at her, still confused, "Then why are you here?"

Buffy hesitated before answering in a quite voice, "To tell you that I don't care. Which I don't. Which I have now told you. So bye." She turned to leave.

Giles began to follow her, "Will he rise again?"

Buffy turned back and stopped, "Who?"

Giles stressed the words, "The boy."

"No. He's just dead."

"Can you be sure?"

"To make you a vampire they have to suck your blood. Then you have to suck there blood. It's like a whole big sucking thing. But mostly there just going to kill you." After pausing for a few seconds, she finally asked, "Why am I still talking to you?" and continued her trek out.

Giles stopped her again, "You really have no idea what's going on do you? Do you think is coincidence you being here? That boy was just the beginning."

Buffy turned back to him again, "Why can't you people just leave me alone?"

"Because you are the Slayer. Unto each generation a Slayer is born. One girl in all the world who is chosen…"

Buffy interrupted, finishing his proud speech, "One given the skill to stop the vampires. To stop the evil. Blah Blah Blah I've heard it all before. Okay?"

"I really don't understand this attitude. You've accepted your duty if you've slain vampires before."

Buffy said, "Yeah and I've both been there and done that. And I'm moving on."

Giles held up a finger before rushing out to collect a book, "What do you know of this town?"

"It's about two hours away from Metropolis?" Buffy was clearly exasperated from this conversation

"Think of it in the history of this place. I've found a steady stream of odd occurrences. Like the meteor shower. I believe that this whole area is a center of mystical energy. They seem to gravitate toward here that one wouldn't normally find."

"Like vampires?"

Giles began to hand Buffy several large books for no apparent reason, "And zombies. And werewolves, inccubi, succubi, everything you ever imagined is under your bed but swore it couldn't be by the light of day. There all real."

"What, did you sent away for the Time Life series?"

"Yes actually," Giles told her as he straightened his bow tie again.

"Did you get the free phone?"

Giles answered reluctantly, "The calendar."

"Cool," she started to struggle with all the books before dumping them all into Giles arms. "Okay first of all, I'm a Vampire Slayer. And secondly I'm retired. Hey, I know, why don't you kill 'em?"

Giles gave Buffy a funny face, "Please, it's been years since I've done that kind of stuff."

"Oh come on. Stake through the heart. A little sunlight. It's like falling off a log."

"A Slayer slays. A Watcher…"

"Watches?"

"Yes," Giles began, than hesitated, "Wait, no. He trains her. He prepares her."

Buffy wanted this conversation to be over, it was going to places she didn't want to go, "Prepare me for what? For getting kicked out of school? For losing all of my friends? For endangering my life all the time and never getting to tell anyone because I might endanger them? Go on. Prepare me."

Giles stared at her, taken back as Buffy sighed and walked out.

Giles seemed at lost for words before finally deciding on, "Damn"

As Giles started after Buffy, Xander stepped out from behind a bookshelf holding a math book. He looked toward the doorway confused by what had transpired, "What?"

Giles chased Buffy down the hallway, hoping to get her attention and get her to understand the urgency of his request, "It's getting worse."

Buffy sighed before turning around, "What's getting worse?"

"Supernatural occurrences have been building up around here for years. There's a reason why you're here. And there's a reason why its now."

"Because now is the time when my mom moved here."

"Something is coming. Something big is going to happen here. Soon"

"Gee can you vague that up for me?"

Giles stressed, "The signs as far as I can tell lead me to believe something will happen in mere days."

"Come on this is Smallville. How much evil can be here?"

* * *

_They're all going to pay,_ Jeremy Creek thought as he walked the halls of Smallville High, his old alma mater, the place where he was beaten and bullied for the first few weeks of school, then chosen as the Scarecrow for homecoming. It was the reason he was there, eleven years later, looking exactly as he had when he was a freshman, with brown, messy hair and green eyes. He swore he'd make every member of the football team from back then pay for their misdeeds against him.

With a bandanna wrapped around his fist, he punched into a trophy case and took a picture of the three boys who kidnapped and humiliated him. A look of anger in his eye, originally, he would've been afraid of them, but the meteor shower somehow changed him, made him a better man. With the picture in his hand, Jeremy walked off, ready to begin his hunt for the ex-football players.


End file.
